Vans Pass the Bucket with Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament

As you may know, Jeff is an avid skateboarder and he’s identified skateboarding as an avenue for kids in impoverished areas to create some positivity in their lives and has donated a lot of time and money in this effort. Last fall, Jeff combined forces with a Native American youth organization, the Stronghold Society, along with to build a world-class skatepark on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, historically a tinderbox in US-Native American relations and one of the most impoverished areas in this hemisphere.

http://offthewall.tv/video/jeff_ament

Pass the Bucket: Jeff Ament
While achieving tremendous success in the music industry as the bassist and co-founder of Pearl Jam, Jeff has made it his mission to pay it back as an activist, philanthropist, and skate park builder. Growing up with humble beginnings in rural Montana, Jeff witnessed not only the tranquility of rural life, but also the difficulties that can often accompany growing up in extremely isolated areas. Luckily, Jeff found skateboarding, fell in love with the sport, and discovered the self-confidence that it can inspire. Remembering his roots and the positive effects skateboarding can have on young people, Jeff currently helps build epic skateparks in some of the most rural and deprived areas in the west. His most recent venture on the impoverished Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, is maybe his most rewarding project to date.

Special thanks to those who made the Wounded Knee 4-Directions Skatepark possible: Jeff Ament and Montana Pool Service, Jim Murphy and Wounded Knee Skateboards, Walt Pourier and the Stronghold Society, Mark Hubbard and Grindline Skateparks, Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy Foundation, the Tony Hawk Foundation, Vans, Ben Harper, Chris Sacca and the Eagle Bull Family

About the Stronghold Society
The Stronghold Society has a mission is to inspire confidence, creativity, hope, and ambition for the youth of native and non-native communities. They aim to encourage youth to take action to live a healthy life in mind, body, and spirit through the diverse means of skateboarding, arts, and creative movements. strongholdsociety.org

Good lord! John Fitzgerald just put out the gnarliest little video part for a skate shop. Yep, not even a shoe or board company. Wow this kid is good. Check this out!

Tomorrow Vans is teaming up with the good people over at ASkate and hosting a clinic at the House of Vans. Check out the flyer for more information and show up and help out! They do amazing things!

Check out our video recap of the 2012 Vans Pro Tec Pool Party Pro division featuring Rune Glifberg, Bucky Lasek, Pedros Barros and more.

Check out our video recap of the 2012 Vans Pro Tec Pool Party Masters division. And check back later for a video recap of the pro division.

Full results and press release below:

PEDRO BARROS DEFENDS PRO TITLE AND
STEVE CABALLERO WINS SECOND MASTERS CROWN AT THE 2012 PRO-TEC POOL PARTY

Vans Skatepark, Orange, CA (May 12, 2012) – Seventeen-year-old Brazilian Pedro Barros defended his first Pro-tec Pool Party Pro crown to win $28,000 at the Vans Skatepark in Orange, California Saturday night as he again fought off Rune Glifberg in second place and Bucky Lasek who returned to the Pro-tec podium after missing last year with a broken wrist.

The Masters division took on the look of a Bones Brigade reunion as Steve Caballero returned from recent injury to claim first place and $14,000 ahead of fellow Brigade alums Tony Hawk, the runner-up, Lance Mountain in third and Mike McGill in fourth. It was the first time that those four had competed in the same contest since the early ’90s and Stacy Peralta and George Powell were on hand for the occasion. Cab, who six weeks ago broke his collar bone in a motorbike mishap, was not expecting to compete until being cleared to begin rehab just a week ago. He also won in 2010 and is the only Masters competitor to unseat 6-time winner Chris Miller, who placed 9th this year. The night was capped off with Hawk receiving a huge cake in honor of his 44th birthday today.

Masters
Name (Hometown) Purse
1. Steve Caballero (San Jose, CA) $14,000
2. Tony Hawk (San Diego, CA) $7,000
3. Lance Mountain (Arcadia, CA) $4,000

Pros
Name (Hometown) Purse
1. Pedro Barros (Florianopolis, BRA) $28,000
2. Rune Glifberg (Copenhagen, DEN) $14,000
3. Bucky Lasek (Baltimore, MD) $7,000

Those who missed the action live can find complete event coverage including in-depth blogging, photos and videos at vans.com/poolparty.

The Pro-tec Pool Party was made possible by the support of Vans and hydrated by vitaminwater.

Curren Caples Weeek wraps up with Vans looking into ace photographer, Anthony Acosta’s, archives at the Curren photos he’s shot over the years and the stories behind them.

The legendary Pro Tech Pool Party at the Combi Bowl will be going down this weekend. Make it out or head over to Vans to watch it live. It all happens on Saturday May 12th.

Curren Caples is the new focus on Vans week long coverage. Head over to their site and check out an exclusive interview with this little ripper.

Rowley explains all the features on his new jeans. He’s worn a pair of Volcom pants for over 10 years. That means they are good. Check it out.

Posted by John Bradford

Danlu’s been on a tear lately, and the brand new issue of Skateboarder is proof of that. He knows he has an interview coming out, but somehow we were able to keep it under wraps that he was getting his first cover too. So when the advance copies of the new magazine showed up to the office we hatched a little plan to get all of the homies over to Collin Provost’s house in Long Beach for a little surprise cover party. We got him… We got him good.

He’s handed the box… and with it his very first cover.

Literal brostyle… Dan’s brother Andrew made it on the cover too.

All the bro’s jumped right into Dan’s interview.

Toy Machine camera man Kevin Barnett and Joshua Harmony.

Ryan Spencer.

David Reyes approves

Matt B instantly grams it

Assistant (to the) Vans TM Griffin Collins

“oh… he’s grinding DOWN it…”

What are we grilling?

Pink slime

Bros

Cheeseburger

Cash

Pong

Collin relaxes in his new yard

Griffin’s on the new shit

Film

Collin builds

Marquise shows up

and off to the bar…

Dakota

Cuates Chris

Risking teeth

Somehow we crashed a birthday party…

Someone got tagged

After that its all a blur… Congrats to cover man Daniel Lutheran. Pick up his interview when it comes out!